Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are a National Basketball Association team based in Toronto, Ontario. They are currently the only NBA team based outside of the United States.

Founded: 1995

Home Arena: Air Canada Centre

Uniform colors: Purple, Red, Grey, Black, and Silver

Logo design: A snarling red raptor dribbling a basketball

NBA Championships: None

2004-05 Record: 33-49

Franchise History (By Seasons)

1995-96

After Isiah Thomas was named the general manager in 1995, he quickly staffed the management with his own personnel, including the first head coach Brandon Malone (who was later reunited with Thomas in the Knicks organization in 2003). Isiah chose to build the franchise around Damon Stoudamire, a point guard out of Arizona. The Raptors' pick of Stoudamire was greeted with boos from those present at the NBA Draft at the SkyDome in Toronto, many of whom bought into the hype surrounding UCLA star Ed O'Bannon. However, Stoudamire proved to be the one bright point in a terrible first season as he won Rookie of the Year honors by averaging 19 points and 9.3 assists per game.

Record: 21 Wins - 61 Losses

1996-97

The team record improved by 9 games from its inaugural season and attendance was rising. Analysts predicted a playoff-contending or even a championship caliber team in a matter of a few seasons. Marcus Camby who was drafted 2nd overall in the 1996 draft by the Raptors had a season to forget in his first season as a Raptor.

Record: 30 Wins - 52 Losses

1997-98

All optimism evaporated when the team was hit by numerous injuries in early 1997-1998 season. Thomas, a brilliant player and skilled evaluator of talent but lacking in management skills, failed to stop the downfall of the team which led to the dismantling of the core players and resignations of the head coach Darrell Walker and eventually of Thomas himself. When Glen Grunwald was named to succeed Thomas in 1998, virtually nobody thought he could turn the team around, demonstrated by the booing from the crowd when he made his first appearance to Air Canada Centre for a speech. However, the players reacted by playing harder and Marcus Camby earned the first two triple doubles of his career in the last four games of the season.

Record: 16 Wins - 66 Losses

1998-99

Grunwald showed his better management ability than his predecessor by trading Camby to the Knicks for proven veteran Charles Oakley, whose tough mentality and playoff experience helped the maturity of the young players. Many thought the trade would hurt the team, since he was trading away a promising prospect for an aging veteran. However, Oakley's leadership proved crucial to the success of the 1998-1999 Raptors. The coaching staff temporarily solved the lack of a true point guard by rotating Dee Brown, Alvin Williams and Doug Christie to play the position. This was an excellent move, as Christie greatly refined his defensive game and became one of the elite defenders in NBA. Alvin also showed improvement, on the offensive end. Kevin Willis, another veteran acquired from trade, solidified the center position. With those two holes temporarily filled, the team won more games than ever before. The new coach Butch Carter, besides doing an excellent coaching job, also helped develop the young players on the team, especially future All-Star Tracy McGrady. Although the team did not make the playoffs, many were optimistic with the brilliant performances from the Rookie of the Year Vince Carter and a much improved McGrady.

Record: 23 Wins - 27 Losses (a shortened 50-game schedule)

1999-2000

Grunwald decided that the solution to the Raptors' lack of a true point guard and a strong front court presence would have to come from mature veteran players. He also knew that the aging Willis and Oakley would eventually have to play fewer minutes or risk injury. Thus, during the 1999 draft, he decided to trade first-round draft pick Jonathan Bender for veteran power forward Antonio Davis from the Indiana Pacers, who had been forced to play off the bench behind teammate Dale Davis. In the backcourt, Butch Carter rotated Carter, Christie, Williams and Dell Curry at the shooting guard position and Williams and Muggsy Bogues at point guard. Rotation of Antonio, Oakley and Willis in the front court and the maturation of both Carter and McGrady helped the team make its first ever playoff appearance. However, without significant playoff experience, the Raptors were swept by the New York Knicks in the playoffs.

Progressive team improvements and the rise to fame of Vince Carter attracted many fans around Toronto, many of whom were not previously basketball fans. Increased attendance and change of fan base also helped contribute to the decline of the Toronto Blue Jays. This was also the first full season at the Air Canada Centre, after four years of games at the cavernous SkyDome.

Record: 45 Wins - 37 Losses; eliminated in the first round of the playoffs

2000-01

Playoff failures led Grunwald to replace Butch Carter with Lenny Wilkens, who was a Hall-of-Fame coach and player with more than 30 years of coaching experience. In addition, the team finally found a true point guard, when Grunwald signed veteran playmaker Mark Jackson to a 4-year deal with the team. The season marked the development of Alvin Williams as a clutch performer. He scored three quarters of his points in the 4th quarter during regular season. Jackson was later traded to give more minutes for Williams.

As Vince familarized himself with the shooting guard position and played less time at small forward, Christie became expendable and was traded for small forward Corliss Williamson. However, he was a disappointment and was traded during the season for defensive workhorse Jerome Williams. The loss of former star small forawrd Tracy McGrady was also a factor in the Williamson trade. Although McGrady and Carter showed impressive improvement at the same time, much of the media and fan attention was focused on Carter, who dunked more often and thus was more entertaining to fans. Furthermore, McGrady's natural position is at shooting guard, the same position as Carter. Therefore, Raptors management decided to trade McGrady to the Magic during the 2000 offseason for a first-round draft pick in a sign-and-trade deal.

As predicted by analysts, the team clinched a playoff berth without much difficulty. Toronto beat New York in the first round . Wilkens was credited for having Williams defend shooting guard Allan Houston and Carter defend small forward Latrell Sprewell, the two major offensive threats of the Knicks. In addition, Charles Oakley's remarks incited Vince to "play it like a man", and steady contribution from Antonio Davis prevailed over the less-focused Knicks. The Raptors were also lucky, as Larry Johnson was shut down by a career-ending injury and Marcus Camby was plagued by his family kidnap. These, however, were non-factors, as it was abundantly clear that the Raptors were vastly superior to the overhyped, undertalented Knicks.

The next series against the Philadelphia 76ers was a landmark of exciting, entertaining play, and the best playoff performance by the Raptors so far. The Sixers relied on Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo for their respective offensive and defensive abilities, along with steady help from Aaron McKie and other teammates. Toronto's was much more balanced with Carter, Williams and Davis providing much of the offensive game and Chris Childs and Jerome Williams providing the defensive pressure. Philadelphia took full advantage of its mismatch at center whereas Toronto counteracted with a fast-break offense with their shorter but quicker players. The series came down to the last 4 seconds of Game 7, when Vince Carter missed a fadeaway jumper, losing the series by 1 point.

Record: 47 Wins - 35 Losses; eliminated in the second round of the playoffs

2001-02

The Raptors' exciting playoff performance attracted even more fans and put unprecendented trust from the owners on Grunwald. In an attempt to satisfy Vince Carter so that he would resign with the team, long-term contracts were given to Alvin Williams, Jerome Williams and Davis, and former All-Star center Hakeem Olajuwon was signed, to provide Carter with a good supporting cast. Although the team was guaranteed a powerful starting line-up for one season, it was a dangerous gamble as overall player salary almost reached the cap, making significant free-agent signing impossible. Expiring contracts had also been traded away, so unless the Raptors succeeded with their 2001-2002 lineup, it was unlikely they would remain a very competitive team.

The first half of the season ran well with expected contributions from the starters and the improvement Morris Peterson and Keon Clark. In spite of an injury to Antonio Davis in January and a subsequent injury to Carter, the team made a record comeback to clinch a playoff berth.

However, the injuries to Davis and Carter were highlighted in the 3-2 series loss to the Detroit Pistons. Ben Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse's performances overwhelmed the offensively-limited Raptors.

Record: 42 Wins - 40 Losses; eliminated in the first round of the playoffs

2002-03

The 2002-03 season began with the same optimisim that the Raptors furnished in three straight playoff appearances. However, right from the beginning of the season that optimism was lost: Carter went through a series of injuries, Davis started to express disinterest in Toronto (reportedly because his wife could not land a TV job in Toronto) and Wilkens' laissez-fair attitude created a team that lacked the motivation and spirit of the previous years' teams. Pretty much the entire team was ravaged by the injury bug, as they lost an NBA record number of player games due to injury, and that was another main reason. Almost right from day one, the Toronto media went straight for the jugular when it came to Wilkens, chastizing him for his inability- or, perhaps, unwillingness- to really clamp down on his players when he had to (The Toronto Star's Dave Perkins once wrote that all Wilkens could do during a game where the Raptors self-destructed was sit and stand, instead of yelling at his players like Perkins says he should have been doing). This was the year that Wilkens overtook Bill Fitch for the lead in most losses by a NBA coach, with his loss total getting dangerously close to his win total. At the end of the disastrous season (a year marred by defensive breakdowns that still occur today), Wilkens was unceremoniously dumped, ending a three-year stint with the team that started with so much promise but ended with too much disappointment.

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Record: 24 Wins - 58 Losses

2003-04

The Raptors were inconsistent throughout 03-04, partly due to injuries to key players Jalen Rose, Rod Strickland, Alvin Williams and Vince Carter, with Davis traded early in the season for Rose. After 50 games, though, they were 25-25 and in position to make the playoffs. The team then suffered through a nine-game losing streak in February, dealing them a serious blow in the standings. With eight games to go in the regular season, the Raptors fired Glen Grunwald, the general manager on April 1. Grunwald had been the GM since 1997. The Raptors finished up the season 3 games out of the eighth and final playoff spot. The star individual performers were Carter, with 22.5 points per game, Donyell Marshall, who led the team with 10.7 rebounds per game, and rookie Chris Bosh, a 6-10 forward-center who averaged 11.5 ppg and 7.4 rpg and was named to the rookie all-star team.

Immediately following the season, on April 17, head coach Kevin O'Neill was fired after making some remarks which were taken to question the team's commitment to winning. He was replaced with Sam Mitchell, a former NBA player who had been an assistant coach of the Milwaukee Bucks the previous two seasons. Rob Babcock was named GM on June 7, 2004.

Record: 33 Wins - 49 Losses

2004-05

With new general manager, Rob Babcock, and new head coach, Sam Mitchell, it was evident that restructuring of the organization was in operation. Subsequently, their star player Vince Carter, demanded a trade during the off season. Thus, much of the 2004-2005 season's action played itself out off the court.

The trading of the Raptors franchise player, Vince Carter finally came to fruition mid-season ending his 7 year tenure with the team. From that deal, the Raptors received Alonzo Mourning, Eric Williams, Aaron Williams and two future first-round draft picks from the New Jersey Nets. Mourning did not show up to Toronto, forcing Babcock to buy out the remainder of his contract, leaving Mourning free to sign with the Miami Heat, where he had spent 7 years of his career prior. The two Williams also saw few minutes, and were generally under utilized until the end of the season.

After the trade that saw Carter leaving, Chris Bosh stepped up to take the helm of franchise player, and performed admirably in his sophomore campaign; he ranked 10th in defensive rebounds for the season. Apart from Bosh's emergence, the restructuring looked to take a bit of a hit with rookie 8th first round draft pick, Rafael Araujo, struggling to keep a spot in the line up during the Raptor's half-hearted run for a playoff spot during the last month of the season.

Veterans Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall also shined on an otherwise lackluster team. There was much speculation that Marshall would be traded before the trade deadline since he was up for free agency in the up coming season. However, GM Babcock held on to Marshall, who eventually scored 12 three pointers in a game versus the Sixers on March 13, tying an NBA record. Shooting from beyond the arc was a big part of the Raptor's game as Toronto had the second best three point percentage after the Phoenix Suns.

The Raptors inability to win on the road (11-30) and generally poor defense made Sam Mitchell's first year as head coach unimpressive. However, the home fans were generally entertained as the team managed to thrive off the often well attended Air Canada Centre putting up a record of 22-19 at home. Coach Mitchell was also mired in controversies off the court. Of note, point guard Rafer Alston in a post-game interview contemplated retiring after a tough loss, as he continued to butt heads with Sam Mitchell. Later in the season, Alston was suspended two games for "conduct detrimental to the team" for reportedly walking out of a scrimmage practice. In addition, Eric Williams requested a trade, unhappy with the lack of minutes he was receiving. Vince Carter's mother also made comments to the media about a "wrestling match" that took place in the locker room between the coach and her son prior to his trade.

Record: 33 Wins - 49 Losses; 4th in Atlantic Division, 11th in Eastern Conference

Players of note

Basketball Hall of Famers:

None yet.

Not to be forgotten:

Charles Oakley (Oaktree, Blagnum)
Marcus Camby
Vince Carter (Vinsanity, Half man Half Amazing, Air Canada)
Doug Christie
Keon Clark
Antonio Davis
Tracy McGrady
Hakeem Olajuwon
Damon Stoudamire
Jerome Williams (JYD Junkyard Dog)

Retired numbers:

None yet.

Current stars:

List of Head Coaches

1995 - 1996: Brendon Malone
1996 - Feb 1998: Darrell Walker
Feb 1998 - 2000: Butch Carter
2000 - 2003: Lenny Wilkens
2003 - 2004: Kevin O'Neill
Current: Sam Mitchell (hired on June 29, 2004)

List of General Managers

1995 - March 1998: Isiah Thomas
March 1998 - April 2004: Glen Grunwald
Current: Rob Babcock (hired on June 7, 2004)

Significant draft picks of each season

1995 7th overall Damon Stoudamire
1996 2nd overall Marcus Camby
1997 9th overall Tracy McGrady
1998 4th overall Antawn Jamison (traded on draft day for 5th overall pick Vince Carter)
1999 5th overall Jonathan Bender (traded for Antonio Davis)
2000 21st overall Morris Peterson
2001 17th overall Michael Bradley
2002 20th overall Kareem Rush (draft-day trade for 27th overall Chris Jeffries)
2003 4th overall Chris Bosh
2004 8th overall Rafael Araujo

Important Player Movements

Note: not all players or conditions are listed, only those affected the team most significantly will be shown

1996-1997 season: traded with the New York Knicks for Doug Christie
1997-1998 season: traded Damon Stoudamire to the Portland Trail Blazers for Alvin Williams
1998 offseason: traded Marcus Camby to the Knicks for Charles Oakley
1998 offseason: traded with the Rockets for Kevin Willis
1999 draft day: traded 1st round draft pick Jonathan Bender to the Pacers for Antonio Davis
1999 offseason: signed Dell Curry
1999 offseason: signed Muggsy Bogues
2000 offseason: traded Doug Christie to the Kings for Corliss Williamson
2000 offseason: traded Tracy McGrady to the Magic for a 1st round draft pick.
2000 offseason: signed Mark Jackson
2000-2001 season: traded Corliss Williamson to the Detroit Pistons for Jerome Williams
2000-2001 season: traded Kevin Willis to the Denver Nuggets for Keon Clark
2000-2001 season: traded Mark Jackson to the Knicks for Chris Childs
2002 offseason: lost Chris Childs through free agency to the Nets
2002 offseason: lost Keon Clark through free agency to the Kings
2003-2004 season: traded Jerome Williams and Antonio Davis to the Bulls for Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall
2004 offseason: signed Rafer Alston
2004- 2005 season: traded Vince Carter to the New Jersey Nets for Alonzo Mourning, Eric Williams, Aaron Williams, and two future first round draft picks. (December 17, 2004.)

External links

Toronto Raptors official web site (http://www.nba.com/raptors/)
Official Toronto Raptors Summer Pro League web site (http://www.summerproleague.com/)
Offical Forum of the Toronto Raptors (http://www.raptorschat.ca/)Template:NBA

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